Question: $ A = \left[\begin{array}{rr}4 & 5 \\ -1 & -1 \\ 1 & -2\end{array}\right]$ $ B = \left[\begin{array}{rr}3 & -2 \\ 4 & 3\end{array}\right]$ What is $ A B$ ?
Because $ A$ has dimensions $(3\times2)$ and $ B$ has dimensions $(2\times2)$ , the answer matrix will have dimensions $(3\times2)$ $ A B = \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4} & {5} \\ {-1} & {-1} \\ \color{gray}{1} & \color{gray}{-2}\end{array}\right] \left[\begin{array}{rr}{3} & \color{#DF0030}{-2} \\ {4} & \color{#DF0030}{3}\end{array}\right] = \left[\begin{array}{rr}? & ? \\ ? & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ To find the element at any row $i$ , column $j$ of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in row $i$ of the first matrix, $ A$ , with the corresponding elements in column $j$ of the second matrix, $ B$ , and add the products together. So, to find the element at row 1, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the first element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ A$ with the first element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ B$ , then multiply the second element in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ A$ with the second element in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ B$ , and so on. Add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4}\cdot{3}+{5}\cdot{4} & ? \\ ? & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 2, column 1 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }2}$ of $ A$ with the corresponding elements in ${\text{column }1}$ of $ B$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4}\cdot{3}+{5}\cdot{4} & ? \\ {-1}\cdot{3}+{-1}\cdot{4} & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Likewise, to find the element at row 1, column 2 of the answer matrix, multiply the elements in ${\text{row }1}$ of $ A$ with the corresponding elements in $\color{#DF0030}{\text{column }2}$ of $ B$ and add the products together. $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4}\cdot{3}+{5}\cdot{4} & {4}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2}+{5}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{3} \\ {-1}\cdot{3}+{-1}\cdot{4} & ? \\ ? & ?\end{array}\right] $ Fill out the rest: $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}{4}\cdot{3}+{5}\cdot{4} & {4}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2}+{5}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{3} \\ {-1}\cdot{3}+{-1}\cdot{4} & {-1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2}+{-1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{3} \\ \color{gray}{1}\cdot{3}+\color{gray}{-2}\cdot{4} & \color{gray}{1}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{-2}+\color{gray}{-2}\cdot\color{#DF0030}{3}\end{array}\right] $ After simplifying, we end up with: $ \left[\begin{array}{rr}32 & 7 \\ -7 & -1 \\ -5 & -8\end{array}\right] $